Baltic Football Podcast

Can Riga FC pull off a European upset, or will Sparta Praha’s firepower prove too much of an obstacle? In this episode, we break down everything you need to know ahead of the UEFA Conference League play-off round clash. From Sparta’s resurgent form and key stars to Riga’s chances of making history, this is the ultimate preview for fans following Baltic and Central European football.

Joining us is Czech journalist and die-hard Sparta...

In this episode, we sit down with Moshe Ziat, Israeli football commentator and lifelong Beitar Jerusalem fan, to discuss the historic, cultural, and tactical dimensions of Beitar ahead of their UEFA Conference League qualifier against Riga FC.

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(00:01:25) – Beitar 101: Who Are They?

(00:04:45) – European Drama & Bucharest Blunders

(00:07:55) – Zionism Meets Foo...

Swedish football journalist Josip Ladan joins us to preview Malmö FF’s highly anticipated Champions League qualifier against RFS. From tactical insights and key players to Malmö’s European mindset, this is the ultimate pre-match breakdown ahead of this tie.

(01:22) – Malmö FF's origin story & fan culture

(03:24) – Malmö’s golden years & European legacy

(04:58) – 2025 season challenges: form, injuries, and tactics

(08:40...

It’s been a wild start to European competition for clubs from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia! In this episode, we break down the highs and lows of Champions League and Conference League Qualification Round 1 — including the dramatic RFS vs Levadia Baltic Derby, shocking eliminations, tactical surprises, and a look ahead to Round 2.We also explore what this means for UEFA coefficients, club development, and the growing identity of B...

Join us as we sit down with Grégory Vignal — former Liverpool, Lens and Rangers defender and current FC RFS assistant coach.In this exclusive interview, Gregory shares his insights into Latvian and Baltic football, the technical strengths and physical gaps he’s observed, and how he’s applying lessons from elite clubs like Liverpool to develop players at RFS.-Gregory’s first impressions of football in Latvia and the Baltics-How Balt...

This week, Baltic football takes center stage in Europe! Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian clubs are gearing up for crucial clashes in both the UEFA Champions League and the Conference League qualifiers.What to look out for:-The Baltic derby between Levadia and RFS in the Champions League-Žalgiris Vilnius battling Hamrun Spartans from Malta-Kauno Žalgiris heavy favorites against Penybont of Wales-Nõmme Kalju, Daugavpils, Hegelmann,...

In this episode, we catch up on the Baltics leagues to see What's Hot and What's Not in Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian football before delving into the hype and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence in football - from how it's been used elsewhere to what are the potential use cases in the context of the Baltics.(00:02:00) Riga FC are Hot(00:04:22) Riga FC Women are HOT!!(00:08:00) FS Jelgava are Hot(00:09:52) FK Su...

Recent weeks kicked up some alarming news about the President of the Estonian FA allegedly blacklisting referees he doesn't like and the owners of FK Riteriai allegedly embezzling funds intended for running of the club. As we unpack all of this and catch up on the football side of things across the A Lyga, Virslīga and the Premium liiga, these developments also promted us to take a closer look at the quality of governance in fo...

Baltic football is now underway, so we catch-up on what’s been happening before the first international break of 2025 – whether it’s the surprising results in Estonia, edge-of-your seat friction in Latvia, and absolute mayhem in Lithuania, the start of the season in the region is exceeding all expectations.

For the second part of the episode, Frank sits down with the President of the Latvian Football Federation, Vadims Ļašenko, to f...

Football in the Baltics is finally back! As A Lyga, Virsliga and Premium liiga are all about to kick off, we offer a quick, 3-in-1 preview to this year's season in each of the Baltic nations. From how we got to where we are, to who are the players to watch, to our predictions for each of the competitions in 30 minutes or less - we got you covered! (00:01:01) A Lyga season preview(00:07:17) A Lyga players to watch(00:10:45) A Lyga 2...

In this ultimate superhero showdown of Baltic Football News, the podcast team takes on the editorial team to find out who knows more about football in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (or whether any of us know anything at all!)!Do you think you could do better? Share how many of the questions you got right in the comments below!

For all information about Baltic football in English and for latest football news from the region, includin...

It's time to talk about Baltic football.

Why care about Baltic football, you may ask? It is exciting. It is unpredictable. It is accessible. And, it is authentic. For us, it is also local and we are very excited to expand our aperture to include Lithuania and Estonia to our previous coverage of Latvia. Whether you reside in one of the Baltic states and want to learn about what's going on next door or you are one of our man...

The Europa league stage is set to conclude with an intriguing clash between two teams that know one another quite well - FC RFS and FC Dynamo Kyiv. While both teams got some results in their previous match (RFS beating Ajax 1-0 and Dynamo drawing Galatasaray 3-3) both are also eliminated and have nothing but respect and UEFA money and coefficient points to play for.

For this final episode of this unexpectedly, yet delightfully long...

On January 23, 2025, FC RFS will take on Dutch giants AFC Ajax in the Europa League at the Daugava Stadium, with over 2,500 Ajax supporters expected to travel to Riga. For RFS, who have never played competitive football in January, preventing Ajax from coming away with 3 points will be a monumental challenge. As anticipation builds, we explore what the Latvian champions and their fans can expect from this formidable Ajax side. To...

Europa league continues and Riga is about to welcome Greek champions PAOK as they travel to a snowy Latvia to challenge FC RFS this Thursday. Latvian champions, of course, are undefeated at home, so this one should be extra interesting! To find out more about PAOK, we sat down with Dimitris Vasilakos from Betarades.gr and the "You'll never stand alone' podcast. MANSCAPED.COM know that our listeners are some of the most attractiv...

Virsliga season 2024 is over and what a ride it's been! RFS won the League and the Cup, Valmiera almost ceased to exist, and Daugavpils made a legitimate run for Europe! We sit down to review the ups and the downs, to reflect on our start-of-season predictions and review how our 'players to watch' did, to award our season awards, and to ponder on what to look forward to next year!

(00:02:05) End-of-season table review

(00:19:25) ...

We sit down with one of the Metta Academy coaches - James Prieditis, former coach at Huddersfield, Rochdale and Burnley - to talk about Latvian football, youth development, things to consider when picking an academy for your child, and about his extraordinary connection with Latvia. *please note that the original interview was about twice longer, but we lost half the footage due to a technical glitch :( Would you like to look as ...

Matchday 3 of Europa League 2024/2025 is here and RFS are heading out to Germany, to play one of the most formidable teams on their fixture list - Eintracht Frankfurt. A club with 125 year history and a 58000 capacity stadium, which is expected to be sold out, is a proper powerhouse of European football. To learn more about them, their style of play, and their famous fans, we are joined by Oliver Schliegl, a football agent and form...

With only four rounds to go, there is no shortage of drama and excitement remaining in Virsliga 2024! Whether it is last minute coach changes at Riga FC, seemingly unbeatable RFS, emergent Metta and resurgent Liepaja, failing Valmiera or Grobina in a free-fall, the conclusion of this season is promising to be emotional!

(02:50) Riga rumours and Simo Valakari departure

(09:45) The Latvian Cup - all that happened, scores and misfor...